Telephone-pole cross-arm.



L. M. VINCELL.

TELEPHONE POLE CROSS ARM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2]. X917.

Patented Feb 26, 1918.

ya ww ATTORNEY LAFAYETT M. VINCELL, OF PEDRO, OHIO.

' TELEPHONE-POLE CROSS-ARM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 26, 1918.

Application filed February 27, 1917. Serial No. 151,305.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAFAYETT M. VIN- CELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pedro, in the county of Lawrence and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Telephone-Pole Cross- Arms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to poles as for telephone wires and the like, and more especially to the cross arms thereof; and the object of the same is to produce a cross arm in two members whereof the lowermost is suspended from the uppermost and capable of being dropped a little so as to insert the wires.

Other objects will appear in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein 2 Figure 1 is an elevation of a pair of these cross arms supported on a. pole.

Figs. 2, S and 4 are sectional details on an enlarged scale, taken on the lines 22. 3-3 and t-l res ectively of Fig. 1, and Fig. 2 showing in dotted lines how the lower arm may be dropped for the insertion of additional wires. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail 01'': one end of the upper arm, showing its de pending foot.

The pole is designated by the reference letter P, the insulators by the letter I, and the wires where they are shown by the letter IV. No claim is made for any novelty in these parts.

Coming now to the details of the present invention, the upper arm is of channeled iron and substantially as seen at l, with a lug 2 depending from the lower edge of one of its leaves and having an eye through which is passed a belt, or it might be a screw 3 which takes into the post as seen in Fig. 2. This member may be cast, wrought, forged, or rolled, but as it is desired to have it as light as possible I preferably make it of sheet metal bent into the shape shown and comprismg of course a main leaf and two depending side leaves. The main leaf at each end is continued beyond the ends of the side leaves and turned downward into what I will call a foot 5 which will be some four or five inches in length. and this foot may be held rigid by connecting it with the extremities of the s de leaves or wings at 6 or perhaps by carry ng the ends of said side leaves over the outs de of inverted U-shape' 0f the foot a little and turning; them inward toward each other beyond it.

. Theflower arm 11 is of similar construction, and its lug 12 receives another bolt 13 which passes into the post P; but the feet at the ends of the upper arm are omitted at the ends of the lower arm, as the lower extremities of the upper feet are intended to bear upon the top of the lower arm at its extremities as shown.

Near each end of the upper arm, eye-bolts 7 are )assed through its top leaf with their nuts 8 uppermost, and l nked into their eyes are hook-bolts 8 which hang therefrom and have right-angular bills 9 at their lower eX- tremitics. Secured to the intermediate leaf of the lower arm near its ends are eyes 19 with which the bills of the hooks engage when this arm contacts with the lower extremities of the leet,'and thereafter by set ting up the nuts on the eye-bolts the parts are strained together so that the two arms are held rigidly as one at their ends, while of course the fastening of their lugs 12 and 2 to the post P holds them rigidly spaced at their centers. Each arm may carry any number of insulators, and instead of the usual wood pin I preferably employ a bolt 20 passing upward through the central leaf of each arm with its head below said leaf, and its nut 21 at the top of the insulator so that by removing this nut the insulator may be taken oil or a new one put on as will be clearly unc erstood. The parts are of de sired proportions, and in the drawings I have shown each arm as carrying about six insulators so that three wires pass to either side of the pole on either arm, and the entire structure will carry twelve wires. It is not impossible, however, that the structure could be considerably larger, or that additional lower arms could be added so as to considerably increase the capacity of the entire structure. When I speak of adding lower arms, I mean tiat every arm excepting the lowermost should have the feet 5 so as to space it from the arm below, and appropriate hooks and eyes will be provided for connecting the arms as described.

In the use of this structure, the several arms are bolted or screwed to the post P or other upright support in a manner which will be clear, and the wires are led across them and attached to the insulators as usual.

Itwill be clear that if there should be only one wire or two, or perhaps as many as six in the illustration herewith, one cross arm will be sufiicient; but for the sake of economy we may assume that in the original installation of a telephone line the structure shown in Fig. l is put up. The upper arm will be first attached to the post and the uppermost wires strung. Now when the lower arm is broughtinto position, its lug may be attached loosely to the post, or perhaps a nail could be driven through the eye in toe lug and into the post at a somewhat lower point than where the bolt or screw is finally to pass. The wires are now strung, three on each side of the post, and the slack of each wire is carried over one end of the lower arn and past its insulat r, then the slack is taken up, and finally the linemen wire or fasten this wire to the insulator in the usual manner. \Vhen all six wires (or those being strung in the original installation) are applied, which may be readily because of the space between the feet 5 and the lowermost arm, said arm is raised and the hooks 9 engaged with the eyes 19, then the arm is bolted or screwed to the post through its lug, and finally the nuts on the eye-bolts in the upper arm are tightened up to strain the parts together and produce a i 'ame-like st ucture composed of the two arms and the two feet. The straining of the hooks and eyes and the double oint of attachment of the two lugs to the post, will give this structure sutiicient strength to re sist all strains due to expansion and contraction of the wires, accidental tension applied thereto. and the stress of the elements. The inverted ti-shape of the arms will cause them to shed water. and will prevent the accumulation of water and snow within the channel-iron members which would otherwise be detrimental. The entire structure is much lighter han it made of wood, and if the metal be galvanized or otherwise treated to prevent rust it will last a lifetime.

lVhat is claimed as new is 1. A cross arm structure for telephone poles and the like comprising upper and lower arms of inverted U-shaped cross section and of sheet metal, the intermediate leaf of the upper arm being turned down into feet secured to the extremities of its side leaves and depending below them into contact with the lower arm, insulators carried by the intermediate leaves of both arms, perforated lugs on both the arms, an upright support, and fastening:- means passing through the perforations into the support; combined with eyes rising from the lower arm adjacent its ends, hooks detachably engaged t erewith, and adjustable connections between the upper ends of the hooks and he upper arm, for the purpose set forth.

2. A cross arm structure for telephone poles and the like comprising upper and lower arms of inverted U-shaped cross sec tion and of rolled metal, the intermediate leaf of the upper arm being turned down into feet secured to the extremities of its side leaves and depending below them into contact with the intermediate leaf of the lower arm, insulators carried by the inter mediate leaves of both arms, and a pole for supporting teem at their centers.

3. A cross arm structure for telephone poles and the like comprising upper and lower arms of inverted U-shaped cross section and of sheet metal, the intermediate leaf of the upper arm being turned down into feet secured to the erztremities of its side leaves and depending below them into contact with the lower arm, insulators carried by the intermediate leaves of both arms. perforated lugs depending from one of the side leaves of the arms. an upright support, and fastening means passing through the perforations into the support: combined with eyes rising from the inten mediate leaf of the lower arm adjacent its ends, hooks detachablr engaged therewith, and adjustable connections between the upper ends of the hooks and the upper arm, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

LAFAYETT M. VINCELL.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patentn,

Washington, D. C. 

